It was only this year and a few months ago (two months, to be exact) that I discovered one of the most emotionally stirring albums I've ever heard, along with one of my favorite musicians ever- Us by Peter Gabriel. Us is not my favorite Peter Gabriel album, from what I've heard so far (that would be So, although I've only heard three complete albums so I'm not sure if I can make a good decision yet), but if it makes any sense, it's probably the best that I've heard so far. Us is an entire album of human emotions, held together by a common theme- that of relationships, be it those between two people (the most common variation of this theme on the album) or larger ones.
The main songs on Us that really grab me and exemplify the theme of relationships are Come Talk To Me, Love To Be Loved, Washing of the Water, and Secret World. Come Talk To Me is undoubtedly my favorite track on the album. It begins quietly, and then the drums and pipes kick in loudly, creating a raw sonic landscape. The song is supposedly about a father-daughter relationship, written in response to the growing distance between Peter and one of his daughters. It can also be interpreted as distance between two lovers, but the first interpretation is the one that I immediately understood, as the lyrics reminded me almost painfully of my then-relationship with my mother. "Won't you please talk to me? If you'd just come talk to me? We can unlock this misery, if you'll only talk to me." I've never been very good at communicating, and suddenly I could see things from my mother's viewpoint- wanting her child to explain to her what's going on. We've since become closer- I'm not saying that this song was a factor in helping that aspect of our relationship, but it might as well have been. Enough about me, more about the gorgeous music. Come Talk To Me is a glorious opening track, a "swirling, curling storm of" desperation and emotion. I can feel the loneliness in every word, a raw plea for connection through this "wretched desert." The instruments are also beautiful (I thought it almost sounded African the first time I heard it... African with European influences, more like, or the other way around) and the chorus features Sinead O'Connor, whose voice I adore and admire.
The next song, Love To Be Loved, is much calmer and softer, almost easy-listening. It describes a craving to be needed, liked, wanted, and loved- a longing to fit in somewhere. The middle section of the song changes drastically, taking my breath away and breaking my heart with the first of many tearjerking lines on Us: "This old familar craving. I've been here before, this way of behaving. Don't know who the hell I'm saving anymore. Let it pass, let it go, let it leave! From the deepest place I grieve. This time I believe. And I let go... I can let go of it. Though it takes all the strength in me, and all the world can see, I'm losing such a central part of me. I can let go of it." Those last two lines in particular really get me- "I'm losing such a central part of me," especially in the way that Peter sings it. He sounds truly regretful, torn between what he wants and what is best for him. The bridge section honestly cuts straight to my core.
Washing of the Water has a similar effect on me. It begins softly, fooling the listener into thinking it's nothing more than a contemplative piano-based lullaby... which it is, at least in the beginning. (Somewhat irrelevant sidenote- Peter's voice on certain lines reminds me of Chris Martin's voice, especially "Would you swallow me deep inside?") The lyrics are about a river, asking it to carry the narrator away, and the gentle rhythm lulls me into a false sense of calm. Then suddenly, triggered by the line "Let your waters reach me like she reached me tonight," the floodgates open. The middle section explodes from there, pouring out sheer pain. "Letting go, it's so hard, the way it's hurting now to get this love untied. But I'll have to stay with this thing, cause if I follow through, I face what I denied. I'll get those hooks out of me, and I'l take out the hooks that I sunk deep in your side. Kill that fear with emptiness, loneliness I hide." Now those are some of the saddest, most truthful, and most painful lyrics I have ever heard. The entire bridge section makes me want to cry. I feel so sorry for anyone who's ever felt that way, which of course includes Peter Gabriel, because he wrote the song. It's one of the saddest breakup songs I've ever heard.
The last track on Us is much more uplifting- Secret World. It is quiet and dreamy, with atmospheric synths. It's also my second favorite song on the album. In my opinion, the lyrics tell of a couple who have been togehter for a long time and are momentarily separated- "In this house of make believe, divided in two like Adam and Eve. You put out and I receive." The lyrics are rich with moments of brilliance, such as "So I watch you wash your hair, underwater, unaware. And the plane flies through the air," which may sound mundane but makes so much sense in the context of the song. I occasionally just feel like quoting every line from this song, it's that good. One line I particularly admire the use of is "What was it we were thinking of?", because I ask myself that question all the time. Towards the end, the song bubbles into a more upbeat synth solo. I love to listen to this song as I fall asleep. When I leave my eyes open, the lights of the cars going by outside my window seem to stream down my wall in perfectly orchestrated movements, and when I close my eyes, my mind and the music melt into each other, creating a bridge between me and the song. It's an amazing moment every time, and always relaxes me enough to sleep. The live version of Secret World from 1993 was also stunningly gorgeous- on the third repetition of "What was it we were thinking of?", the lights began flashing and Peter and everyone else standing onstage began spinning in a circle. It is filmed beautifully on the concert DVD Secret World Live, or Peter Gabriel's Secret World, if you want to see an example.
The songs in between the tracks I've highlighted are not quite as good as the above, but all have their own merit. The two most rocking songs are Steam, a watered down version of Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel's biggest hit) and Kiss That Frog, a fun song with excellent sexual innuendo. Blood of Eden is another calming, beautiful track in the vein of Love To Be Loved, and Only Us is enjoyable, albeit with some lyrical dissonance. Fourteen Black Paintings is the only song on the album that doesn't have to do with the relationship between two people; it is more of a mood piece about the relationship between the government and its people (in my opinion). Digging In The Dirt is a dark, angry song about therapy that comes directly after Washing of the Water, moving fluidly from grief to anger.
All of the songs on Us are lovely, and the album should be listened to as a whole. I know this is starting to sound more like a review than a "gushing of love," but I'm not very good at expressing just how deeply this music touches me. It's a cohesive, painful album with true moments of greatness, and it is emotionall cleansing and therapeutic, healing me from the inside. Most of the song on Us are the most played songs on my iPod, because I just can't get enough of hearing it. I can't just listen to a few songs- when I listen, I listen to the entire album. I'm slightly proud that this was the first album I heard by Peter Gabriel, because not only did it introduce me to his music, but it is a real work of art.
ian.....
